Post by Christina S. Ho Senior Fellow and Project Director of the China Health Law Initiative O’Neill Institute The passage of universal health care, or (near-universal health care in this case), as Obama proclaimed, finally affirms in principle that as a society, we owe some security to one another against the life-and-death risks that can […]

Post by Kevin Outterson Associate Professor & Co-Director of the Health Law Program BU Law Last week, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced a bill (H.R. 4752) to overturn the 2003 ban on government-led price negotiations for Medicare Part D drug plans. The bill has 73 co-sponsors so far. While perhaps well intentioned, this bill will […]

Kevin Outterson, Boston University Law The following is a summary of the drug & device provisions in HR 3962, as passed by the House on Saturday, Nov. 7. Winners: PhRMA; BIO; seniors in the donut hole; transparency PhRMA & BIO escape with minimal net financial costs; on balance the bill might be revenue positive for […]

On October 6, 2009, the O’Neill Institute hosted a panel on “Medical Malpractice and Health Care Costs: Can Tort Reform Bend the Curve?” to discuss the likely impact of proposed tort reforms on medical mistakes, malpractice system costs, and overall health spending, and why politicians and the press don’t always pay attention to the existing […]

Recently, Members of Congress have introduced legislation to change the antitrust laws as they relate to health insurance. (See: Modern Healthcare of September 18; free registration is required to view). Some have discussed including such legislation as part of comprehensive health reform. Clark Havighurst of Duke University Law School is the godfather of the field […]